Magnetic Railroad Clip

ABSTRACT

A magnetic railroad clip is able to stay engaged to the rails of a railroad track as a train passes over the rails. The magnetic railroad clip includes a base plate, a first brace, a second brace, and at least one magnet. The base plate is used to brace the underside of a rail of a railroad track. The first brace and the second brace allow the magnetic railroad clip to be pressed against the sides of the rail. The second brace further allows a heating device such as, but not limited to, a hot switch induction head to be mounted to the rail. The at least one magnet provides a magnetic fulcrum effect that prevents the first brace from dropping below the underside of the rail. Thus, the magnetic railroad clip can stay engaged and/or pull tighter to the railroad track rail as a train passes over the rail.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/782,236 filed on Dec. 19, 2018. The current application is filed on Feb. 19, 2020, which is within the two-month period for restoration of priority.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of railroad hardware. More specifically, the present invention is a magnetic railroad clip that is able to stay engaged to the rails of railroad track, as a train passes over the rails, through mechanical and magnetic attachment to the rail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional railroad tracks include track switches that allow a train to alternate between different tracks to reach multiple destinations. When in cold weather, these track switches must be heated in order to prevent snow and ice from affecting the operation of the switch. Railroad clips are used in order to mount a heating device to the rails of railroad track. There are many types of railroad clips with the most common railroad clips being mechanical. These railroad clips share a common problem in which they tend to vibrate loose and fall off the rails of the railroad track as a train passes over the railroad clip. This occurs due to the violent shaking of the trails as each wheel of a train produces up to a 4 g shock as the rail bends down and rises back up as it hits each tie plate located on the tires. There exists a need for a railroad clip that can stay engaged to the rails of the railroad track without the need of bolting or lagging the clip to the rail which will hold the heating device fast in place as a train passes over the clip.

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a magnetic railroad clip that is able to stay engaged to the rails of a railroad track as a train passes over the rails. The present invention provides a magnetic fulcrum effect that will automatically pull tighter during the vibration caused by a train passing over the present invention. This is accomplished by a mechanical biding point on one side of the clip and a magnet on the other side that pulls tight to the underside of the rail. This action prevents the vertical sidewall from dropping below the underside of the rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top left-side perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top right-side perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom left-side perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front side view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

In reference to FIGS. 1 through 5, the present invention is a magnetic railroad clip that is able to stay engaged to the rails of a railroad track, as a train passes over the rails, through mechanical and magnetic attachment to the rail. The present invention comprises a base plate 1, a first brace 4, a second brace 5, and at least one magnet 6. The base plate 1 is used to brace the underside of a rail of a railroad track. The first brace 4 and the second brace 5 allow the present invention to be pressed against the sides of the rail. The second brace 5 further allows a heating device such as, but not limited to, a hot switch induction head to be mounted to the rail and thus, the present invention is mechanically attached to the rail. The at least one magnet 6 is used provide a magnetic fulcrum effect that prevents the first brace 4 from dropping below the underside of the rail and to magnetically attach the present invention to the rail. Thus, the present invention is able to stay engaged to the rail of railroad track, as a train passes over the rail, through mechanical and magnetic attachment to the rail.

The general configuration of the aforementioned components allows the present invention to stay engaged to the rail of a railroad track as a train passes over the rail. With reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, the base plate 1 comprises a first face 2 and a second face 3. The first brace 4 and the second brace 5 are peripherally connected onto the first face 2 and are positioned opposite to each other across the base plate 1. In further detail, the first brace 4 and the second brace 5 are permanently connected to the base plate 1 in which the first brace 4, the second brace 5, and the base plate 1 are all one single structure. The positioning of the first brace 4 and the second brace 5 allows the present invention to be pressed against both sides of the rail. Preferably, the first brace 4, the second brace 5, and the base plate 1 are made of stainless steel for rigidity and high-temperature resistive properties. Moreover, the first brace 4 is positioned perpendicular to the base plate 1 due to the common shape of rails of a railroad track. The at least one magnet 6 is mounted into the base plate 1 in order to magnetically attach the base plate 1 to the underside of the rail. Further, the at least one magnet 6 is positioned offset from the second brace 5 in order to optimize the magnetic fulcrum effect provided by the present invention. Preferably, the at least one magnet 6 is positioned 80% offset of a width of the base plate 1 from the second brace 5 in order for the magnetic fulcrum effect to be optimized. Additionally, the at least one magnet 6 preferably provides a strong magnetic effect in order to maintain the base plate 1 pressed against the underside of a rail.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the present invention may further comprise a magnet receptacle 7 in order for the magnet to be integrated into the base plate 1. The magnet receptacle 7 traverses into the base plate 1 from the first face 2. The magnet receptacle 7 may vary in size dependent on the size of the at least one magnet 6 and the size of the base plate 1. The at least one magnet 6 is positioned within the magnet receptacle 7. As mentioned previously, the base plate 1 is preferably made of stainless steel which is a magnetic metal. Thus, the at least one magnet 6 is magnetically attached to the base plate 1 while positioned within the magnet receptacle 7. In further detail, this prevents the at least one magnet 6 from easily being removed from the base plate 1. This is only one method of maintaining the at least one magnet 6 in position. In another embodiment, the at least one magnet 6 can be permanently affixed to the base plate 1 while positioned within the magnet receptacle 7 through various means.

With reference to FIG. 1, the present invention may further comprise a plurality of fastening features 8 in order for a heating device to be mounted to the second brace 5. The plurality of fastening features 8 is preferably a pair of fastening holes that allow a heating device to be mounted to the second brace 5 through a set of fasteners. The plurality of fastening features 8 is integrated into the second brace 5 and is distributed along the second brace 5. Thus, the present invention can be mechanically attached to the rail and used to mount a heating device to the rail.

There are various types and sizes of railroad track rails. Due to this, the second brace 5 can vary in size and shape in order to match the type and size of a particular railroad track rail that is engaged by the present invention. For example and in one embodiment, the second brace 5 can comprise a proximal flat portion, an intermediate flat portion, and a distal flat portion. The proximal flat portion is positioned adjacent to the base plate 1, the distal flat portion is positioned offset from the base plate 1, and the intermediate flat portion is positioned in between the proximal flat portion and the distal flat portion. Further, a pair of alternate interior angles between the proximal flat portion, the intermediate flat portion, and the distal flat portion are obtuse angles. This arrangement allows the second brace 5 to be fitted against a side of a particular type of railroad track rail. In another embodiment, the second brace 5 may comprise a singular flat body in order to be fitted against a side of another type of railroad track rail.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A magnetic railroad clip comprises: a base plate; a first brace; a second brace; at least one magnet; the base plate comprises a first face and a second face; the first brace and the second brace being peripherally connected onto the first face; the first brace and second brace being positioned opposite to each other across the base plate; the at least one magnet being mounted into the base plate; and the at least one magnet being positioned offset from the second brace.
 2. The magnetic railroad clip as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a magnet receptacle; the magnet receptacle traversing into the base plate from the first face; and the at least one magnet being positioned within the magnet receptacle.
 3. The magnetic railroad clip as claimed in claim 1 comprises: a plurality of fastening features; the plurality of fastening features being integrated into the second brace; and the plurality of fastening features being distributed along the second brace.
 4. The magnetic railroad clip as claimed in claim 1 comprises: the first brace being positioned perpendicular to the base plate.
 5. A magnetic railroad clip comprises: a base plate; a first brace; a second brace; at least one magnet; a magnet receptacle; the base plate comprises a first face and a second face; the first brace and the second brace being peripherally connected onto the first face; the first brace and second brace being positioned opposite to each other across the base plate; the at least one magnet being mounted into the base plate; the at least one magnet being positioned offset from the second brace; the magnet receptacle traversing into the base plate from the first face; and the at least one magnet being positioned within the magnet receptacle.
 6. The magnetic railroad clip as claimed in claim 5 comprises: a plurality of fastening features; the plurality of fastening features being integrated into the second brace; and the plurality of fastening features being distributed along the second brace.
 7. The magnetic railroad clip as claimed in claim 5 comprises: the first brace being positioned perpendicular to the base plate.
 8. A magnetic railroad clip comprises: a base plate; a first brace; a second brace; at least one magnet; a magnet receptacle; a plurality of fastening features; the base plate comprises a first face and a second face; the first brace and the second brace being peripherally connected onto the first face; the first brace and second brace being positioned opposite to each other across the base plate; the at least one magnet being mounted into the base plate; the at least one magnet being positioned offset from the second brace; the magnet receptacle traversing into the base plate from the first face; the at least one magnet being positioned within the magnet receptacle; the plurality of fastening features being integrated into the second brace; and the plurality of fastening features being distributed along the second brace.
 9. The magnetic railroad clip as claimed in claim 8 comprises: the first brace being positioned perpendicular to the base plate. 